Stay
by lizzykingsley21
Summary: What if the golden trio had met another trouble maker in their first year? What if Remus, Sirius and Snape had survived war? What if Remus and Tonks had never fallen in love? What if he had fallen for another young witch? Lot of what ifs don't you think? If I've caught your attention with this, trust me from now onwards this will be a joy ride.
1. Chapter 1

Lexi saw herself running through the dark forest again. Shooting spells manically, leaving her attackers behind. She had to find the rest, she had to see if they were all right. War was at its peek and the other members of the order were fighting alongside her an hour ago. She had had to take some of the death eaters from their tails, there were too much of them. She a group of about ten and attacked them, teasing for them to follow.

She had shaken nine of them off, and only Antoin Delhov was behind her now. Hatred ran through her veins.

_That's the man who murdered my parents…_ She gritted her teeth as she looked at the unpleasant shadow that ran behind her.

A few minutes passed, yet she managed to kill him before he outran her.

She was entering the castle, fighting her way in when she spotted Harry signaling for her to go towards him. Lexi tried to warn him, yet she didn't have a voice. Harry turned around worried, yet not fast enough.

"_Avada kadevra!"_

She observed as Harry fell on the ground. Tears streaming down her blood-stained cheeks.

"Now it's your turn little half-blood" Voldemort said while turning to her. "_Avada kadev-_"

Lexi woke up suddenly. Tears fresh in her cheek.

"It was a dream" she repeated herself slowly along with "we won" until she calmed down.

War had ended two months ago and they had won. The long path of fighting Voldemort alongside Harry had finally ended. Plenty of death eaters had died with their master, yet so had few honourable members of the order and many men who had fought valiantly with them. Still Lexi knew the war had begun long time before a couple of months ago. War had begun the moment Voldemort had killed the parents of one of her best friends. War had also been present when a group of death eaters had tricked and murdered "random" Aurors while they were off duty. Amongst those Aurors were Lexi's parents, who had died when she was in the middle of her third year at Hogwarts. Hadn't she had her friends by her side, she would have never survived. Yet the feeling was mutual.

While Hermione was the brain, Ron the spirit and Harry the muscle of their golden quartet and of war itself, Lexi had been the blood running through the veins of the group. She had been the one to heal those who got injured, spearing a few lives while doing so, she had been the one to brew the potions that strengthened and helped the others, and she had also been the one to take down the battles most people were scared to fight.

She remembered the first day they met. Lexi had entered their common room with blushed cheeks and panting where the three of them where chilling. Harry, Hermione and Ron had looked at her confused. She had been running away from a few Slytherins who she had hexed after they had pissed her off. From then onwards it was the beginning of an inseparable, beautiful and utterly dangerous and troublesome friendship. She saw the philosopher stone and the chamber of secrets as far away adventures even though Lexi knew they had been the heads up of the rocky path she was about to follow with them.

She still had nightmares reliving the moments when she was in war, yet those nightmares didn't have the "favourable outcomes" that their battles had had. She had already seen Harry, Hermione and Ron die twice each this week. She had to brew some sleepless drought, she couldn't deal with it anymore. She looked at the clock. _10:35_ am. _Well at least I slept more than yesterday_ she thought to herself startled, as she had woken up at six. Though it wasn't much of a gain as she had gotten to sleep around a quarter to five.

She descended the stairs of Grimmauld place silently so as to avoid waking up Sirius and whichever his conquer was for the night. He had decided to take her in as a sign of gratitude after she had been one of the quartet who had saved him from the dementor's kiss. Later on he also thanked Lexi for saving his arse in the fight they had had against Death Eaters in the ministry as she had managed to petrify his loving cousin Bellatrix Lestrange before she killed him.

Lexi had no magic family left and she wouldn't live with her muggle relatives as she knew that would be endangering them with no purpose. Even though war had ended, not all Death Eaters had disappeared, and they were very pissed at the death of their master. She would usually spend most of the summer with Sirius, yet so as to give him a teenage-free-month she divided a quarter of the last month with Hermione and the other quarter at the burrow with Harry and Ron. Yet this year she didn't have a Hogwarts to return to. She and Hermione had taken their N.E.W.T's in the ministry, which they had both passed with O's. Therefore graduating from Hogwarts, which unfortunately had closed its gates for the students so as to fix it back to its usual splendour, as the ruined state in which it was was hazardous for the students. Ron and Harry hadn't as they were offered jobs in the ministry as Aurors immediately. So had Lexi and Hermione, yet they thought graduating first to be more prudent. Hermione had already begun working for the ministry as well, yet not as an Auror but as an investigator. Lexi would begin her Auror training in two weeks as the ministry had thought that it would be useful for her to develop some healing skills she had shown during war with the help of the St. Mungoes Mediwitches, therefore taking extensive courses every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the occasional Saturday, and reading loads of paper work and books, therefore familiarizing with the diverse diseases and kinds of attacks.

"Morning" Said Sirius with a smile as she reached the kitchen.

"Well, well, well, no company for breakfast Sirius?" Lexi said surprised as she saw he was sitting on his own.

"I am afraid that isn't entirely true" Said Remus as he took a sit by his friend, yet not before planting a kiss in Lexi's cheek, which she welcomed fondly."How are you Lexi?"

"Never been better" She smiled at her former DADA teacher and actual friend before pouring herself a cup of coffee. "You?"

"Same thing" He lied, his time of the month was a few days away. Thanks to a potion she brew for him he didn't feel pain anymore, still that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

"Don't lie to me Remus, I make your potions" She smiled at him. "I have your wolfsbane downstairs, I know you are running short" She said while she set her coffee on the table and descended to the small potions lab she had managed to create out of need.

"It's not polite to stare Moony" Said Sirius with a smile as he sipped his coffee.

"I don't know what you are talking about" He said dismissively, yet he knew what he was talking about, as effectively, he _had been_ staring.

He had tried to fight the feeling yet he couldn't. He remembered her as a student, she had always been a pretty girl, yet she had never been as striking as she was now. She was no longer a pretty girl, she was a beautiful woman who unfortunately had been forced to grow too prematurely.

He hadn't seen her cry ever since the night he had found her leaving Dumbledore's office after hearing the news about her parents. Not even during war. Even though tears had filled her eyes at times, she always managed to compose herself, contrasting with the hysterical mood everybody had. To his eyes she had been the one to maintain the others sane through it. There was an air to her that made her seem unbreakable yet breakable at the same time.

At first sight her face would make her seem ethereal, yet when she fought she seemed as shatterproof as a stonewall. Her green eyes could be seen from a mile apart. Strangely enough the same eyes that could take away your sleep because of their beauty could hold such intensity that would make you stand back. Her smile and laughter could lighten any room, making the dimmest situation fade, shrugging away any worries, still when she wanted too her tone could impose quite a threat. The auburn curls that used to fall wildly all the way down to her hips had been cropped out of practicality and now framed her lovely face up to her shoulder blades, also helping her transition from childhood to adulthood.

"I'm sure you don't Moony" He said while shaking his head.

"Here you go, couldn't do much about the taste, sorry 'bout that" She said as she handed him a box with about fifty vials. She took a sip from her coffee.

"Thank you" He said as he smiled at her.

Lexi noticed Sirius was observing them weirdly. Trying to shake the weird atmosphere off she decided to break important news.

"I've been meaning to tell you something" She said looking at Sirius, who smiled expectantly at her. "I think it's time for me to move out" She said bluntly.

"Why? Aren't you comfortable here?" He said with a concerned look.

"No, of course not, it's not that." She laughed at Sirius's expression. "You've been a great friend to me Sirius and I appreciate that, a lot, It's just that I feel like I'm pushing you behind being here and all that that implies" She said.

"I have no idea what you mean" He said.

He didn't want her to leave, he had always liked her, but over the years he had realized he loved Lexi. Not romantically speaking, regardless from her looks they were too much alike.

"Oh come on, don't you think it's a tad awkward when you bring your nightly conquers?" She said smiling to herself.

"Would you rather be one of my conquers?" He winked at her with a playful smile. Yet Remus didn't think it to be funny.

"One, I'm not a one-night-kind-of-girl, two you know I'm not your type" She said raising her eyebrows at him. While the first was true, the second was a petty answer, Sirius didn't have a type, his type was woman and it stopped there. "You really don't realize that they look at me differently than they did when I was fourteen?"

When she was little the women would see her with kind eyes, nevertheless after she had turned sixteen they begun eying her more scornfully and suspiciously. At first Lexi couldn't understand this, yet after thinking about it for a while she got an idea. She had always looked much older than her actual age, and Sirius always waited for her to have breakfast and talk, she was the first person he wanted to talk to in the morning. Even though those women spent the night with him, he would always spend his days with her.

"I still have no idea what you mean" He said indifferently.

As if on cue Sirius last night conquer descended from his bedroom with messed up hair and a red dress that was so tight that made Lexi choke with only looking at it. Needless to say the moment she went to bid Sirius goodbye she looked at her and then at Remus, yet her eyes went back to the eighteen year old again. She also noticed the fact that Lexi was in her pyjamas and that she had been talking rather close to Sirius. The fact that she was extremely pretty didn't help the woman's jealousy. Her pretty face had turned into an unpleasant pug like stare.

Remus and Lexi both bit their lips as they looked at each other after the woman had left.

"I rest my case" She said as she let out a laughter, Remus watched her amused. "If you'll excuse me I have to go house browsing" She said as she got up from her chair with the daily prophet in hand and ran upstairs to get changed.

"Hundreds of women leave this house, no bragging intended, yet I have not found one as intriguingly appealing as that bushy haired monster" Sirius said with a funny face. "And I have the feeling you are thinking something of the sort my friend" He added as he looked at Remus who had followed Lexi with his eyes until she was out of sight.

* * *

**Thing is, as much as enjoyed the books and the movies, I could not get over the fact that my favorite characters got murdered, so I decided to change things a little bit with the aid of my dear Alexandra. I hope you enjoy reading this, because I surely did enjoy writing it. Best is yet to come though. Please review and I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oi Lexi lunch is ready" She heard Sirius call from downstairs.

Lexi had just finished magically blowing her hair as she had stepped of the shower a couple of minutes ago. She had found a place in the daily prophet's announcements, to her surprise it seemed economical and extremely practical as it was only a couple of blocks away from downtown. Besides from it she had actually though the neighbourhood to be rather secure and quiet, which was all she was looking for after leaving almost eight years of war.

She had called the owner, a lonely 86 year old widow named Mrs Rivers who had told her she could go and see the apartment from two till four. It was one thirty, so she had time for a meal. She put on a pair of jeans, a camisole and a sweater, trying to look responsible and choosing the clothing that didn't fall to loosely given the weight she had lost during war. It had been years since she had actually worried about what to wear, she even put on some mascara and chapstick.

"Couldn't you hear me?" He said as he finished putting the table, not even looking at her Remus was aiding him.

"Sorry, I was in the shower" She shrugged "Did you actually cook?" She said surprised as she entered the kitchen.

Cooking was usually Lexi's chore, fortunately she enjoyed doing so, and much to her and Sirius's diets displeasure, she was very good at it.

"What can I say, you shook me up a bit earlier" He smiled at her, suddenly noticing her appearance.

"How do I look? Do I look responsible?" She asked as both Sirius and Remus were now looking at her.

"You are a vision" Sirius said with a fond smile "Why?" He asked as he they sat down.

"I'm visiting my future flat today, and I'm hoping to leave a good impression to the lady who owns the apartment"

"I'm sure she'll love you" Said Remus, who had sat opposite from her.

"Thank you Remus" She said smiling fondly at him. She really liked him. _Stop smiling so stupidly at him!_ She said to herself after a few seconds.

"For years we lived together and you never even boiled an egg, and now you cook like this?" Remus said surprised after he took a spoonful of pasta.

"He _doesn't_," She said at Remus before turning to Sirius, who was smiling sheepishly at her. "You only heated what I cooked last night!" She yelled at him with a playful faux accusing tone. "Shook you up a bit, pff" She said with narrow eyes.

"Well, then congratulations Lex" Remus corrected himself.

She gave him a mock bow and smiled. Again, she _really_ liked him.

"Are you really going to move out?" Sirius said as she got up from the table after they had finished eating. A sullen expression in his lovable grey eyes that made him look like a sad two year old.

"Don't worry, you won't miss me much. The flat is only ten blocks away from here, between Hurtington and Bovary Boulevard" At that Sirius raised his eyebrows and turned to Remus.

"Moony?"

"Padfoot?" He tried to mimic his tone, yet there was something in his eyes that proved that he knew what Sirius was about to ask.

"Isn't that only two blocks away from your house?" A mischievous grin spread in his lips.

"Yes, it is" Remus said eying Sirius weirdly before turning to Lexi with a smile. "At which time do you have to leave?"

"In about… one minute" She smiled back at him "Why?"

"I was just about to leave myself" He lied "Would you like me to join you?" He asked gallantly, a spark of hope in his blue and golden eyes.

"That would be lovely" She said as she got up. Shortly after, he joined her.

"How come you never visited muggle Scotland? It's only one apparition away" He said as they walked towards Lexi's possible new apartment.

"I just nev-" She was interrupted as she noticed someone was staring at her.

As she looked ahead she noticed Pansy Parkinson walking across the street. Her brown eyes piercing a hole in her head. The hatred that Pansy and Lexi had for each other was only matched by the hate Draco Malfoy and Harry shared. Both Lexi and Remus remembered a scene that had also happened in third year.

Remus had been sitting in his office, correcting a large stack of unfortunate papers when he heard the screams. Surprised he decided to move towards the window, where he found a rather strange sight. Willing to see the end to that he descended down to the patio, were the quarrel was taking place.

"What are you going to do Stark hex me?" Pansy had said with an angry yet frightened tone. "Are you scared?"

"Scared? Haven't you taken enough blows from me yet?" Lexi yelled. There was no fear in her voice, though anger was latent in there. Remus smiled at her response.

Her wand was clenched tight in her grip, her breathing was rough and her eyes were slits. He noticed the hate in her stare. On the other end of the fight he saw Pansy Parkinson. Her face was twisted in an unpleasant frown that tried to show pride, yet denoted her fear. She was unscratched, as he knew Lexi was smarter than leaving any evidence of their fight, yet her hair was tousled and her clothes wrinkled.

At that Pansy cursed and said something Remus didn't hear. Yet he already was on his way to ending the fight, unfortunately so was professor Snape. Snape took Pansy and Remus took Lexi, clearly showing their predilections, as they wouldn't break apart.

"Oh I can take you down without my wand you poisonous toad!" Lexi shouted in rage even while Remus was holding her back, dividing them as he carried her by the waist. Harry had been present the whole time, also trying to calm Lexi, yet he had failed abysmally.

"Lexi calm down" Remus whispered in her ear roughly. At that she stopped moving, with obvious displeasure though. Remus let her go, yet still kept a close grip of her shoulder.

"How Gryffindor of you Stark, not keeping your emotions away and trying to prove your strength at any chance" Sneered Snape at her.

Lexi didn't care, Snape never had much of an effect in her, she knew he was a git who had it against Harry and all of his friends.

"Excuse me Severus but your Slytherin was attacking Miss Stark as much as Miss Stark was attacking her, yet I don't see you scolding Miss Parkinson" Remus said standing up for her.

"I'll take my Slytherin as long as you take _your_ Gryffindor Lupin" He said before snatching Pansy from one shoulder and strutting towards his office.

"Let's go" Remus said delicately placing his hand in her back as she walked towards his office. Harry had followed them.

"So why was _my_ Gryffindor fighting?" He said mockingly, trying to make Lexi smile. He succeeded and had also managed to get a blush from her.

"She speaks more than she should" She said looking side ways.

Remus looked at her green eyes intrigued. She had never been the kind of student to be found fighting in the courtyard. She was a Prefect on the making, straight O's in every subject, favorite student of most of her teachers, including him and obviously excluding Snape. He had to admit, she did have a knack for finding trouble, he assumed it was due to Harry and Ron, as Hermione was just like her. She wriggled her way out of trouble with her witty tongue and charming smile though.

"You won't tell me what happened will you?" He said resigned, at her apologetic smile and intrigued eyes he kept on speaking "I know the look in your eyes, I had a friend just like you" He said smiling at the memory of Sirius, who at the time was spending a sentence that wasn't his to live in Azkaban. "You are free to leave, I would recommend you staying away from the dungeons for a while though" He said remembering Snape's words.

"You'd think having an O average would be enough to at least make him loathe me less, but _no_, apparently being best friends with Harry Potter is more significant, " She said while shaking her head and biting her lips, which were curling into a smile.

Remus only smiled amused at her.

"By the way send your troublemaker inside as you leave, I need to have a word with him" He said with a smile.

As Lexi walked past Harry, who had been waiting for her, she told him to go inside, he saw Harry smile at her as she left with a peculiar look in his eyes. _Oh dear, I also know that look_.

He wasn't surprised by the fact that later that year she and Harry begun dating. Their relationship had been as beautiful as short as they only lasted half a year, mid-way through the summer holidays; they both realized that they worked better as friends than as a couple. Few months after their break-up they both realized they were into someone else, Harry with Cho Chang, and Lexi with someone who let's just say was out of her reach at the time…

"What was all that about?" Remus asked Harry as he took a sit in front of him. "I won't tell her you told me" He said laughing at the concerned look Harry gave him.

"As she walked past us Pansy let out a comment about 'Mudbloods' being worst wizards than pure bloods on purpose, knowing that that would set Lexi off. At that Lexi told her to take it back" Remus recalled being told that Lexi's mother had been a muggleborn. "She wouldn't take it back and said that perhaps-" Harry stopped with anger "Perhaps her mother wouldn't have been killed if she had been a better witch and Auror. At that point she teased Lexi to make her take it back" A smile appeared in Harry's lips "With that Lexi sent an Expelliarmus that made her and some of her friends that were behind her fly a couple of feet away"

"I would say I'm surprised, but honestly I'm not" Remus said with an amused tone before dismissing Harry.

He had seen Lexi duel in DADA earlier that year and he knew that she was the most skilled duellist her age. Title that she still kept.

"I'm sorry, um, what were we saying?" Lexi said as she woke up from her memory, which she didn't know was sharing with Remus. He laughed at her.

"We are here" He said pointing at the tall building before them. He rang the doorbell "Though I would recommend you to reconsider moving into this neighbourhood" He said frowning "They say there is a werewolf on the loose" He smiled at her.

"I think I could tame him" She widened her eyes mocking him while she laughed. At his faux-angry expression she placed her arm around his, resting her head in his shoulder as if she were comforting him. All Remus could think was that she was right, she could most certainly tame him.

"You must be Miss Stark" An old lady said as she stepped outside from the apartment with a wide smile. "I thought I was only expecting you" She said as she looked at Remus with a smile that made him think of his grandmother. "Please come in dear"

"Thank you" She smiled at the elder lady that made her think of Dumbledore as she had the same kind age-less eyes.

"Is the house for you and your husband?" She asked as they entered the apartment, noticing that their arms where linked, and also noticing the look in their eyes. Looks which were oblivious to one another.

She must have thought Lexi was older. Strangely enough it wasn't the first time, there was something about her that wouldn't let you place her on a specific age. She had always looked older than she was, perhaps it was the way she managed herself, perhaps it was in her genes, she had no idea what it was, but she honestly couldn't care less.

"Oh no we are not married, the flat is for me-" She said smiling at the lady, hadn't she interrupted she would have explained that Remus and her were nothing more than friends.

"How nice of him to accompany you then, you have a lovely boyfriend dear" The woman said taking Lexi by the arm. "Come along, let me show you this jewel"

Lexi pulled Remus along with her. The amused smile she had plastered in her face matched his.

"What do you think love?" She heard Remus whisper as he got close to her, placing his hands on top of her shoulders.

Lexi recognized the playful glint in his eye as she turned.

"I love it"

"I've made some tea, please join me" The woman said as she showed her petite face from the kitchen.

"We'd love to" Said Lexi, breaking the stare Remus was giving her. _He really is playing the part_ she thought to herself._ Oh well, better take advantage of it now_.

She placed her arms around his neck and gave him a quick peck on the cheek as they walked together to the table, the woman smiled at them.

_I guess she really wants this place, oh well, it's all for a good cause…_ He thought before placing his arm around her waist as they sat down. The smile she had produced with the kiss never disappearing.

"So how did you two meet?" The woman asked "Please indulge an old woman, I don't have many visitors"

"Well" Lexi looked at Remus warily, who was only smiling at her, waiting to see what she would say "He used to be my professor" She thought the truth was the safest option.

"Oh goody! A forbidden love story" She placed a hand on top of Lexi, who was blushing.

As she looked at Remus she knew he was enjoying her expression way too much.

Lexi hit him subtly yet painfully on the ribs and smiled at him proudly as it was her turn to do so. _Is he blushing?_ She wondered, yet she dismissed the idea thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her.

"And how did you two reunite?"

"Common interests" They both answered at the same time.

"You are a funny couple" She looked at them "Still you are one of the most in love couples I've ever met"

At that Lexi felt Remus's arm twitch.

"Thank you" she said a bit awkwardly "I believe we have to leave now, we wouldn't want to bother you any longer" She said while getting up. They had been in the apartment for almost an hour and a half now.

"All right dear, when would you like to meet again?" The woman said as she accompanied them to the door.

"This is my phone, I leave it to your disposition" She smiled at the kind lady "Thank you very much"

"Good bye dear"

"Um" Lexi started trying to break the awkward silence. "I guess this is where we grow apart" she said mockingly.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused, he was still a bit dumbstruck from earlier.

_Yet you are one of the most in love couples I've ever met_

"I'm sure you don't want to waste your entire afternoon on me, so we go home…" She said dubiously.

"I'll walk you home" He said setting his way towards Grimmauld place.

"Remus you are only two blocks away from your house…"

"I would let Mrs Rivers down if I allowed my beautiful girlfriend to walk to her house on her own, I wouldn't want to do that now, would I?" He said with a smile, which Lexi returned thankfully, making something inside of him to switch on.

"No, I guess you wouldn't" She said hiding a little blush.

* * *

**Don't worry it will not always be this fluffy, things are about to get interesting, I promise ;). Please review, I enjoy feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Howdy Lex" Harry said as he sat besides his best friend. "What's on your mind?"

He had known her ever since they were eleven; he knew her mind was elsewhere. The order was meeting once every Friday, so most of them where gathered there, Ron sat with his arm across Hermione, his oldest friend and new girlfriend. His own girlfriend and best friend's sister with whom he had been living, Ginny, sat with them, yet was discussing something with Sirius. Fred and George seemed to joke about Bill and Fleur's baby, Dominique. Kingsley and Tonks were trying to organize what looked like a schedule and Molly was in the kitchen. Plenty of members where missing, yet the Order would work without them as they took turns.

"Nothing, why?" She said surprised.

"Come on Lex, you can't lie to me" He said as he put a hand inside his tousled hair.

"When did you become so insightful?" She said with a surprise.

"My pride hurts!" He said outraged making her laugh.

She tried not to ogle; yet she couldn't help it. Every five seconds she would steal a glance at where Remus was. He had been staring through the window for ten minutes now and she was beginning to get worried. Even though his face seemed calmed his eyes showed some sort of crossing.

Lexi remembered the last time she had seen him like that, it had been the last day of their third year, the morning after they had freed Sirius and Buckbeak. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still asleep, overly tired due to the events of the previous night. Yet she couldn't sleep, she had never been able to sleep much back then, so she had walked groggily towards the great hall so as to get some breakfast. She had entered in time so as to hear Snape telling the Slytherins that Remus was a werewolf. Draco Malfoy and his gang were saying that they had known it the entire time while the rest of the table shrieked in disgust.

"POISONOUS GIT!" Had escaped her mouth before she could think.

No one had seemed to notice; yet Snape had as he was strutting angrily towards her.

"What did you just call me Miss Stark?" He hissed angrily. He was surprised that she didn't flinch, but instead she was matching his stare, which he had to admit was quite intimidating for a thirteen-year-old.

"What you heard, you had no right to do what you did!"

"Are you looking to get expelled Alexandra?" The anger in his eyes increasing.

"No, and unless you want me to tell the rest of the alumni what actually happened last night, that will not occur, oh and I would have to tell the minister as well of course" She said threatenly with a stern look.

She was referring to the way in which he had done nothing to deserve the 'order of merlin' he would have gotten hadn't Sirius been released.

Snape strutted away manically, the anger and frustration in his eyes creating an aura around him. Lexi strutted in the other direction with a proud smile, yet with sadness and concern in her green eyes.

She had realized about Remus's nature the moment in which Snape had given them the written assignment, by the look in Hermione's eyes she had noticed her study buddy had realized as well. They had decided not to tell Harry or Ron as it was not their secret to tell. She had wished the greasy git had thought the same. Yet his stupid schoolboy grudge had been enough to ruin Remus's life. Though she wasn't surprised as the same grudge would have been enough for him to hand Sirius to the dementors.

"Come in" She heard him say after she knocked on his door "Ah Lexi" He looked at her behind the pile of books she assumed was about to put away.

"No- you can't go!" She said as she felt her heart sinking.

"I resigned first thing in the morning Lexi, rumors travel fast in this castle" He said as he sat in front of her, in his desk.

"You resigned? I thought-" She looked down and as she knew he was looking at her, she kept on going. "Snape just told the Slytherins you were a werewolf" She said with a small voice as she looked at him in the eye.

"Ah well, it was doomed to happen" He said as he passed a scared hand between his tawny hair.

"How can you be so calm about it?" She was confused, he only laughed.

"If Severus thought telling the Slytherins was going to ruin me I will certainly not give him that satisfaction" He said wisely "Perhaps I knew that this would happen when I resigned, letters from concerned parents will arrive tomorrow morning and I will not make Dumbledore sacrifice himself for me any longer, after all I _am_ a werewolf Lexi"

"But you are also the best DADA teacher we've ever had! And you are kind and gentle and I know that you've been helping Harry through out the year, without you we'd probably be-" She stopped thinking about what could have happened hadn't Harry conjured his patronus. "Please don't leave" She continued. She hated the pleading tone in her voice, yet she couldn't avoid it.

He was looking at her differently, a small smile was present in his lips and there was something in his eyes, something she noticed when he got closer to place his arm on her shoulder. They had passed the student teacher barrier a while back, just like Harry and he had, and now it was showing.

"Don't worry, by the way trouble finds you I don't think any of you will have time to miss me" He said with a smile. At that Lexi laughed.

"Yeah, we aren't the quiet kind of lot"

"No, but you are a brave lot" He said with a smile, they reminded him of the Marauders. And she reminded him of himself.

By thinking that he remembered and begun searching for something in his desk. As he found it he handed Lexi the tattered parchment.

"I figured you'd want this" he said as he handed it to her, yet she hesitated.

"You should give it to Harry, it'll mean more to him" She said as she walked towards the door "the rest will come in a few minutes, I'm sure their awake now" Before leaving she sprang towards him a last time and hugged him. "I'm going to miss you professor"

"You won't have to, I have a hunch I'll be seeing you soon" He said before she left.

Of course they weren't surprised to find him two years later in the order sitting across from them. Only the look Lexi and Remus had given each other was different from the look he had exchanged with the rest of his former students.

"Honestly I-" She was about to speak when she noticed that Harry was looking at Ginny, who was now on her own in the same way she had been looking at Remus. "Go with her Harry" He looked surprised at her "What? I've always been insightful" She joked with a smile on her face.

"Love you mate" He said before leaving.

"I know you do" she muttered smiling.

Remus watched Lexi's reflection through the window. He had noticed she would look at him every once in a while, yet he would also notice that Harry had gone to speak to her, and had been doing so for the last ten minutes. He was really fond of Harry, he was almost family to him, just like Ron or Hermione, Lexi he liked to think about differently though. And he knew that he was with Ginny Weasley, but he still didn't like it when he was too close to Lex. He was aware that he was her best friend, but Remus was also aware that Harry was also her ex-boyfriend. He had always felt a twinge of jealousy when they where together, which was quite often, hence it was more than just a twinge. He was jealous that Harry could hold her in his arms, caress her and even kiss her without people judging him or looking at him as if he were a fool. He honestly wished they had met twenty years ago, when they could have had the same kind of relationship. Remus still couldn't get over the dream he had had the previous night, a dream that made him nervous with anticipation whenever he looked at her.

He was sitting in his office in Hogwarts, correcting a large stache of papers when he noticed it was past midnight. He sat back on his chair, sleep defeating him when he noticed a tall figure entering his classroom.

"Lexi? What are you doing here? It's past your curfew" He said yet she still kept walking towards him.

He noticed it wasn't the Lexi he had had as a student, but the 18-year-old Lexi he now had as a friend. She didn't have the long wavy hair she used to have back then, but the cropped mane that she wore now. She wouldn't answer; she would just walk towards him. There was a smile planted in her lips and a playful look in her eyes.

Confused and perplexed Remus sat still observing her as she got closer to him. He couldn't speak as he knew not what to say, and he wouldn't move as he didn't know where to do so either. Desire was overtaking him.

She was so close to him now that he could caress her cheek lovingly, making her eyes close for a second. She sat in the desk in front of his chair so that they would be of the same height and placed her hands between his tawny hair, caressing a few scars while doing so. Her touch sent electricity down his body. He got closer to her, placing his hand on her waist, her face getting closer to his, her piercing eyes, her lips…

"Remus? What are you doing?"

Remus woke up from the remembrance of his dream only to find the woman who had haunted him speaking. He had been so enthralled that he hadn't noticed her reflexion walking towards him.

"Nothing" he smiled nervously "just thinking" he looked into the green eyes that made him captive.

"You seemed quite concentrated" She smiled at him, a response she unwillingly had whenever she saw him smile "The meeting's about to start"

Remus followed as Lexi motioned for them to go. Both of them knew better than making Kingsley wait. As they sat down their hands met. Remus felt the same kind of electricity he had felt the night before in his sleep, little did he know that Lexi had felt the exact same thing.

"So" Kingsley begun, waiting for everyone to settle. "Before we start I would like to notify that contacts from St. Mungoes have just told me that yesterday the last patient that has been hospitalized because of war was fully healed" He said trying to sound cheerful. "Now" He cleared his throat "As you may know Hogwarts will reopen the doors for the students next week due to the hard work and amount of time dedicated"

None could help but to smile, Hogwarts was their home away from home, and they had all shed a few tears after it's destruction.

"Yet, after professors Slughorne and Flitwick's unexpected retirement there is a shortage of teachers. Now that Professor Snape is fully recovered he will take the position as potion master again, yet the DADA and Charms positions are yet to be filled"

_Is he thinking what I'm thinking?_ They all thought at the same time, except for Tonks, she was already aware of the plan and looking at Lexi with an apologetic smile yet with jelousy.

"Reason for which Dumbledore found a suitable replacement amongst us" He turned to Lexi, who had been trying to avoid his stare. "Alexandra?"

"Yes?" She said with squinted eyes. _Please don't say it please don't, pretty pretty pleaseee._

"You did graduate with an O average in charms didn't you?" He said with a professional tone, trying not to laugh at her expression.

"Yes" _Stupid brain I hate you_ "But what about my job in the ministry?"

"The minister has already been informed and has unwillingly decided to wait a couple more years for your addition "

_A couple more years?_

"But how am I supposed to teach a subject I have only finished a month ago?"

"Don't underestimate yourself child" Dumbledore said as he entered the room, making everyone stare at him. "You never have, why start now?"

"Professor…" She said pleadingly, begging that he would reconsider. Yet she succumbed as he looked at her with his twinkly blue eyes "Of course I'll take the position, it will be an honor" She said resigned. She could never say no to Dumbledore, not after all he had done for her.

"The honor is mine child" He said with a smile. "Now all that's left is for Remus to accept the DADA position" He directed his twinkly gaze at the man besides her, who had adopted an expression similar to hers.

"Albus we have gone through this before, parents will not want a werewolf teaching their kids" He said non-challantly, yet his hurt was evident to Sirius and Lexi who looked at each other before looking back at him.

"You are a war hero now Remus, things will be different, besides the judgmental stare of a few squared Slytherins has never stopped you before has it?"

"I'm going to regret this, but count me in" He sighed "But I'll send any howler that reaches me directly to your office"

"I'll accept it pleasurably" He said with a smile.

Remus and Lexi looked at each other and raised their eyebrows at the situation they found themselves in. After finding about their new job, Kingsley presented a few other topics that led to a short discussion, but the reunion ended in less than an hour. Yet everyone except for Tonks and Kingsley who had another meeting to attend to remained for a while longer.

"Don't know how you are going to make the class focus" Said George as he placed an arm around Lexi, with who he usually flirted. "After all if I were your student I couldn't do anything but stare at you"

"Oh give it a break Casanova you have a girlfriend" She said as she took his arm away from her while laughing.

"No one will replace you though" He said while kissing her palm, making Lexi roll her eyes.

"You really are a lost cause twin" Said Fred as he joined the conversation "She obviously prefers me" He took Lexi from his grip and towards his arms. He was too strong for her to wriggle away. He smiled down at her and wriggled his eyebrows.

"_You_ are the lost cause twin, she prefers me" He did the same thing his brother had.

"Get away from me you loonies!" She said as she finally managed to get away, bending with laughter. "I love you both, but you honestly are a nut case" She eyed them suspiciously as she walked away still laughing.

"Did you listen twin she loves us both!" Exclaimed George as she faded away. "I shall fight you for her hand!"

"Hello _professor_" Sirius said as she approached him and Remus, who were sitting in the kitchen.

"Please don't even get me started" She said as she sat down across from them "How am I going to make people my age look at _me_ like a professor?" She looked at the bottle of fire whiskey between them and at their glasses. "Mind pouring me one?" She asked with a smile she knew Sirius wouldn't say no to, she knew his weak spots.

"It's not fair when you give me that smile" He laughed as he poured her a glass while melting with her smile. "Don't worry, they'll listen" He said as he saw her drink.

"And how on earth am I supposed to prepare my classes in four days?" Dumbledore had told them that they should be in the castle two days earlier so as to prepare the classroom and settle down. "And I was supposed to sign the lease for my apartment tomorrow, what the hell am I going to tell Mrs Rivers?" She muttered angry at herself while hiding her face in her palms.

"You could always tell her that you are moving in with your future husband" Remus said with a knowing smile, sure that that would make her laugh. He was glad to be right when he saw her raise her head with a smile on her lips.

"Yeah, I guess I could, thanks hubby" She said with the same smile Remus had and a wink.

"I'm sorry, am I missing something?" Sirius asked as he lowered his drink.

"Don't worry Sirius, you'll be our best man" She said as she got up with her drink.

"Glad to know" He said confused, eyeing Moony suspiciously. Lexi only laughed.

"If you shall excuse me I have a class to prepare, oh Ginny and Hermione are staying for the night if you don't mind" She knew he wouldn't, but she still waited for him to nod in agreement before leaving with Hermione and Ginny who had been waiting for her in her room as everyone else had left a couple of minutes ago.

"Care for an explanation my dear friend?" Sirius asked as Lexi left.

"Sure, you are the best man because you're my best friend" Remus said with a playful smile as he watched Lexi leave.

"Lex why do you have a glass of Firewhiskey?" Ginny laughed as Lexi sat with both of them in bed.

"It's a way to drown my sorrows" She said making the laughter increase. "I still can't believe I'm going to be your professor" She laid down on the bed.

"Not just mine, many of _your_ companions will be heading back to Hogwarts to finish their last year, not all of them were able or willing to do their N.E.W.T.'s without preparation like you two" Ginny said.

"God I almost forgot! Seamus, Dean and Neville are coming back! And I'll also be Luna and Lavender's professor" She sank her face in the pillow. "Oh no, what if Malfoy and Parkinson return as well? How am I going to be unbiased?" She said getting up.

"Alexandra Stark will you calm down and breath!" Hermione said while laughing at how pale Lexi had gotten. "They won't come back, it would be highly unlikely and unwise as they will be targets for revenge, not even they are that sadistic"

"Thank Merlin for your logic 'mione" She said as she hugged her friend.

"So, how about we prepare your first class?" Said Ginny optimistically.

"Wait, before we start can I ask you something?" Hermione said with a gingerly smile. "Is there something going on between you and Remus?" She asked as Lexi had nodded.

"What?" she asked as her face turned as red as her paper wall. "No, why? Did I act like that? Was it something I did?"

"Okay…" Hermione said smiling "I think you just answered my question" She and Ginny laughed. Hermione reached for the charm books Dumbledore had left Lexi. "Class one: swish and flick" She said.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! please do review and I promise that I will update on this story two days from now! Feedback is one of the most useful things that you could ever give me so please do!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Bloody hell I still can't believe I'm doing this" Lexi said as she apparated inside the castle as Dumbledore had told her.

On the door she found a house elf. Instantly she thought of Hermione and her S.P.E.W. initiative and laughed. She smiled gently at the elf as she got closer to Lexi.

"Hello, I'm Alexandra Stark- I mean professor Stark, god I'm not used to this" she laughed and offered her hand to shake to the elf. "Wait I remember you, you are Winky aren't you?"

She remembered Winky as one of the house-elves that had fought alongside them at war against death eaters. She couldn't help but to remember Dobby and how he had died while they were finding Horocruxes. She repressed the memories as tears were beginning to surge.

"Young Miss remembers Winky" She said in disbelief "And she is offering her hand to Winky like and equal" She shook her hand with wide eyes. "Master Dumbledore told Winky to show young Miss to her room, take my hand Miss"

As Lexi did so they apparated in one of the corridors Lexi recognized to be in the third floor. As she looked for her belongings besides her she realized they weren't there, Winky must have already sent them to her room.

"This is your room young Miss, should you need anything you can always call Winky" She said with a smile.

"Thank you Winky, you can call me Lexi by the way, if you prefer to of course" She smiled at her as she entered the massive room that had been set for her.

"Thank you Miss- I mean Miss Lexi" Before she begun hitting herself Lexi stopped her. "Winky thanks you" with that she left.

"Oh my god this is beautiful" She said as she sat on her huge bed.

Not only did she have a bedroom and a bathroom, but she also had a kitchen and a sitting room, and a balcony that allowed her to see the quiditch pitch. She missed quiditch; she had been a keeper after Wood had left, and a good one by the way.

As she sat in her bed after settling in she felt sleep invading her. As she closed her eyes she saw every person who had died that she had known. Cedric Diggory, Colin Creevy, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Moody, Emmeline Vance, Florean Fortesque, Dobby, Penelope Clearwater, her own parents, those were only a few.

"Stop it Alexandra!" She said to herself as she woke up agitated. As she rolled over to wipe her tears she saw that it already was eight pm.

"Are you all right child? You were screaming" She heard one of the portraits say to her. It was the portrait of an elderly woman with five children running around her.

"Yes, it was a bad dream, thank you, I'm Alexandra" She smiled at the portrait.

"Demetria Salift at your service"

"Can I ask you something?" She said as curiosity invaded her.

_He must have arrived by now…_

"Ask away child"

"Do you happen to know where Professor Lupin is staying?" She asked while biting her lip.

"Ah, the werewolf" She said making Lexi frown "It wasn't meant as an offense child relax. Let me send one of my grandchildren to investigate" After she said so one of the children disappeared from the portrait and returned a couple of minutes later. "He is right across the hall child, but he is in the DADA classroom right now" She said amiably.

"Thank you"

Lexi straightened her sweater and her jeans, took a look at her reflection and ran a hand through her hair before knocking on the door of the classroom that had once been hers.

"It's open" She heard Remus say "Well hello professor Stark" He smiled at her.

He was sitting in his desk writing, he seemed to have woken up recently as well as he had a groggy look in his eyes and ruffled hair. He couldn't help but to smile the moment he laid eyes on her.

"Hello professor Lupin" She took a seat in the bench in front of his. "Kind of brings back memories doesn't it"

"Yeah, it does" He swallowed at those reminiscences.

Memories of war, memories of loss, reuniting with Sirius, finding Pettigrew, comforting the student he now apparently fancied, hugging that same student the day he had resigned.

All of those memories had also invaded Lexi, yet Remus also couldn't help but to think of the dream he had had that involved both of them, in a scenario that was similar to the one in which they found themselves in at the moment. Remus lowered his gaze awkwardly because of it.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked a little fidgety.

"I just woke up, you?"

"Same case, shall we go to dinner?" He said as he got up and placed a hand in the small of her back.

"Yes we shall" She said trying to hide a blush, which she hoped he hadn't noticed. Still he did, at first he seemed confused, but then pleased.

"Lexi! How 'ya been? I misstya kiddo!" The second they got to the dinning hall she encountered with Hagrid, who at the moment was hugging her so tight that she couldn't breath.

"HAGRID. ' ." She said with the reservoir of air she had left. Luckily he released her.

"Sorry 'bout that, got carried away ye see" He said as he scratched behind his head embarrassed.

"I've missed you too, how's Fang?" She asked as they kept on walking towards the table, which was now set in the table that belonged to Gryffindor.

Apparently they saw no point in setting the table in the strand when there where no students.

"As scared as always, you should come and see him he misses ye"

"I would love to" She said with a smile.

"Howdy Professor Lupin" Hagrid said as he noticed the man that was besides Lexi.

"Hello Hagrid"

"It's good to have ye back, both of ye" He said as they led them towards the table

In front of them sat Professor Trelawney, Madame Hooch, Professors Vector and Sinistra, Madame Pomfrey, Professor Sprout, and finally Lexi's favorite teacher Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore and Snape where nowhere to be seen though. The entire table greeted their previous student and fellow professor (and in some cases also previous student) gladly.

"How have you been Lexi?" Professor McGonagall asked her former favorite student as she sat by her. That was a title she and Hermione were glad to share.

"I've been all right professor, you told me yourself that even the gloomiest times hold a spec of beauty when seen correctly" She smiled at her.

"I am glad to see at least one of my students listened to me" She laughed. Few times Lexi had heard that laughter, and she couldn't deny its beauty "You don't have to call me Professor anymore child, Minerva is fine, Professor Stark" At that Lexi laughed.

Is_ professor McGonagall really joking with me?_

Lexi couldn't deny it, the first ten minutes of dinner _had_ been weird, yet after she begun talking with Madame Hooch about quiditch she got lost and derailed from whichever awkwardness was invading her, this was her reality now, a reality she had to get used to, whether she wanted or not.

After dinner ended Remus and Lexi where summoned to Dumbledore's office, who apparently had something to say.

"Honestly Albus? You are bringing a werewolf and a child who has just graduated to teach?" Snape spitted in disbelief.

"Remus is safe, that _child _has been brewing his wolfsbane for four years now, after you stopped doing so. Besides from your clear antipathy towards him he is one of the best students and teachers this institution has ever had, and just like you he and the 'child' are war heroes as well" Dumbledore said defensively. "Besides Miss Stark can barely be described like a child anymore, life has made her become a woman at a very young age Severus, and a very skilled young woman as well, she was top of your class if I don't recall poorly? Top in every class actually, alongside Miss Granger."

"Yes, she was, but she is too young!"

"Too young!" Dumbledore let out a laugh "The girl probably has more experience than most of the men who double her in age, or are you forgetting all she has been through in the past seven years?"

"I- I don't" He said remembering the incident with the philosopher's stone, the chamber of secrets, the escape of Sirius Black, her and her friends helping Potter in the Triwizard's tournament, the fight in the ministry, the hunt for the Horocruxes and war itself.

"She also is a highly valuable member of the order, or don't you recall all she has done during war?"

Severus couldn't deny it, he had heard that she had healed all who had gotten injured so as to keep them alive until Poppy arrived. Actually hadn't it been for her the venom that Nagini had spread in his body would have killed him, she was the reason for which he was alive and teaching. He also had heard that she had been the one to take down most of the vicious Death Eaters, trying to save unprepared student, such as Lavender Brown, who would have died hadn't she killed Greyback first. He knew about her skill with a wand, after all he had been her dueling teacher.

"No"

"So you concur with me that she is one of the most agreeable options as Filius's replacement?"

"Yes, perhaps" He said resigned, he had always felt some sort of respect towards her that differentiated Lexi from the other students, yet he still thought she was too young.

A knock on the door made them stop talking.

"Those must be the _werewolf_ and the _child_" Dumbledore whispered with a small smile for only Severus to hear.

"You summoned us professor?" Lexi said as they became visible.

Snape went towards the door.

"Severus" Remus nodded alongside Lexi who had bid him goodbye with a "Professor Snape"

"_Professors_" He had said with a respectful tone before leaving.

"As charming as ever" Lexi said in a small voice when he was far enough not to listen, though she wouldn't have minded, she had called him a poisonous git in her third year after all.

She wasn't surprised to find Remus smiling at her, but she _was_ surprised to find Dumbledore letting out a small laugh.

"You shouldn't judge Severus Lexi, he's just rough around the edges" Dumbledore said before he directed them to sit.

_Rough around the edges? That's an understatement_

Even though Remus had forgiven Snape for telling the Slytherins that he was a werewolf she hadn't. She respected him, yet she could never like a man who had caused one of the best men she had ever met to suffer the judgments of parents and students out of mere spite.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 6

"Lexi? What are you doing up this late?" Remus said as he noticed the lights on in Lexi's room, which was right across the hall from him, reason for which he was beyond delighted.

It was one am in the morning and students had arrived that night, hence her first class would be tomorrow.

"Freaking out, that's what I'm doing" She opened the door for Remus to come in.

She was already in her pajama pants and in her spaghetti strapped shirt, she didn't mind as Remus had seen her like that countless times in Grimmauld place. And Remus wouldn't tell her to cover herself as he enjoyed very much the view. He also didn't say a thing as she led him to the bedroom instead of the sitting room.

"Why on earth would you freak out?" He laughed as she slumped on the bed and covered her face with her pillow. "Lexi" she wouldn't look at him "Lex honestly look at me" she uncovered her beautiful eyes meeting the blue and golden ones that left her breathless. "You have nothing to worry about, you are an incredibly smart and prepared young witch, it will be easy you'll see" At that she let out a laugh and sat on her bed besides him.

"That's easy for you to say!" He cocked an eyebrow at that. "Everybody loves you and your classes because you're so funny and charming and careless-" She stopped in midsentence as she noticed she was beginning to blush, also because she was about to say handsome.

"Why thank you Lex, I didn't know you though that about me" He gave her a crooked smile and narrowed her eyes at him. "If you must know you are all of those things and more as well, you've faced worst things than a room full of teenage hormones" He said committing his purpose as she laughed at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if some male students love you more than they should" At that she laughed as she blushed.

"Well you are on to speak" She said while smiling at him.

"Excuse me?" He said confused.

"Oh please didn't you notice the look girls from my year and above gave you in class?"

"You poor thing, it's too late you must be deluding" He said dismissing the subject.

"You honestly didn't?" She was surprised, yet glad as she was one of the girls who he had enamored.

"Are you serious?" He was glad Sirius wasn't there as he would have said '_No Moony, she's Lexi, I'm Sirius_'

"Yeah, you left more than a few broken hearts behind you that year professor, not all of them were lucky enough to reunite with you" She said mockingly, yet truthfully.

"Picture that" He said smiling as he looked at her in the eye, he noticed for the first time their position.

They were both sitting in the middle of the queen bed against the headboard, his hand on top of hers and their face inches away. He couldn't help but to wonder if her skin was as soft as it seemed, or as it felt in his dreams, her lips as sweet, and her caress as gentle.

"Yeah, picture that" she said, thinking the same thing Remus was thinking.

"I think we should go to sleep, it's very late" He whispered, not willing not convinced at what he said.

He didn't move and neither did she, his eyes would wander to her eyes, her lips, her bare shoulders…

"Yes, we should" She said hypnotized by his golden-blue stare. Her lips parted and his pupils widened.

A knock on the window made both of them growl in frustration within their minds as Lexi got up from bed to open the window for her Tawny owl to enter.

"Hello Loop" She said as she caressed her owl's head before taking the package she was carrying. "It's from Sirius, for the both of us" She said as she sat down with Loop in her lap.

_My Dearest Lex,_

_I wrote this for you and my lovely Moony as I assumed that you'd be together. I only wanted to wish the best of luck and to tell you that I miss you and love you both greatly._

_Love,_

_Sirius_

_Ps: You were right, my conquers do seem more relaxed and content when you are not around._

_Pps: I couldn't care less, I'd still trade thousands of them for one of you._

"We should mark the date" Remus said shocked.

"I know" She said. "Sirius admitted he was wrong in something!" The last part they said at the same time.

They smiled at each other and remembered what they were about to do a few minutes ago.

"I think I better go now" Remus said as he got up, Lexi got up as well, yet he stopped her. "Stay, I'll let myself out" She sat back against the headboard. "Goodnight" He placed his hands in the back of her head and kissed her in the forehead, lingering a few seconds more than he should have.

"Goodnight" She repeated faintly as he closed the door.

* * *

**Happy new year!**


	6. Chapter 6

Being on the other side of the class was something else to Lexi. She saw the bewildered expressions and the excitement of the first years, who were keen to learn in their first class at Hogwarts.

Only a few first years whispered when noticing Lexi, yet whispers where vivid in the other years the moment she stepped in front of the class. Some were true others were just enhanced by juvenile imagination.

_"That's the girl who fought against Voldemort!"_

_"They say she took down dozens of death eaters!"_

_"That's Harry Potter's best friend!"_

_"The new teacher is hot"_

_"She's a war hero!"_

_"How come she is so young?"_

_"She only graduated last year"_

She got used to the whispers after a while, after all she had lived with people talking about her behind her back, being the boy who lived best friend and all. When she reached the seventh and sixth years the classes turned weirder, as she knew most of the students, and because some of them where her friends as well.

The classes she had with Slytherins were much more cordial than she would have expected. They didn't fear her as they feared Snape, yet they didn't mock or look at her the way in which she remembered her classmates doing with Quirel in her first year. They looked at her with respect, they knew who she was, mostly through rumors, but still they didn't underestimate the youngest member of Hogwarts faculty.

After the last class of her first day she was exhausted, yet thankfully it had been with seventh years, so it wasn't as demanding as the class with the first years, who were utterly disconcerted and in need of constant explanations.

Some of her friends lingered a while after class so as to talk to their friend/ professor.

"How did I do?" Lexi asked as Seamus, Dean, Neville and Ginny sat in the front rows of the charms classroom in front of Lexi's desk.

"You did great" Neville said sheepishly.

"Yeah, it was weird having a charms class without falling asleep" added Seamus.

"Really? I was so nervous, half of my class was, well MY class" She said with a weird expression that made the others laugh.

"Really Lex, by the way did you really have to take five points from Gryffindor?"

"Hadn't you thrown a fireball at Michael McGivney I wouldn't have! Plus I took five points from Slytherin as well, can't be biased you know" She laughed at the blushed Seamus "You should thank Ginny for recovering them by the way" She winked at her friend.

Ginny smiled proudly when Luna stepped into the classroom with an ethereal air to herself. Neville gawked at her as she entered, the moment in which she smiled at him he blushed.

"Hello professor" She said to Lexi as she handed her a small box in a quirky wrapping. "They are Sunnyweeds, my father and I plant them, they are for good luck, they also keep away moon frogs"

"Thanks Luna" She hugged her friend, whom she had had as a student in her fourth period.

"My pleasure" She sat down and then stood up remembering something "Professor Lupin was looking for you, though he said not to tell you now that I remember" She looked downwards "Oops" she shrugged.

"Remus was looking for me?" She tried to hide the hope in her voice, yet Ginny noticed it and wriggled her eyebrows at her. "Thanks again Luna, I'm sure it was nothing important"

"Did he seem nervous when he realized you saw him?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Now that you say so, he did seem a bit peculiar"

"Anything you care to tell us Lex?" Dean asked in the over analytical voice that characterized him.

"Nope, nothing, they're just deluding" She smiled nervously "Are you trying out for the team this year? After all Harry, Ron's and my spot are available now"

"Definitely" Seamus said over-excitedly. "I might ask you for some advice later"

"Sure, I'm a professor after all" She winked mockingly.

"Let's leave _professor Stark_ to her own devices, she has some classes to plan" Ginny said making the crowd move as cattle. The second the others left Ginny winked at Lexi and Lexi stuck out her tung at her.

Yet that didn't mean that she wouldn't go find the man that had been looking for her…

Unfortunately for Lexi there was also another man looking for her.

"Professor Stark" Said a low voice that used to give Lexi chills as she was about to enter the DADA classroom.

"Professor Snape" She said cordially turning around to face him.

"How is the life of a professor treating you?" He asked rather pleasantly.

"It's been nothing but wonderful for the moment, thank you for asking" She said with a smile.

_Is Snape being nice to me?_

"I've been informed by Dumbledore that you are rather fond of potion brewing?"

"Yes, I am" She asked dubious of were this conversation was heading to.

"Well, I'm not sure if he has already informed you, but should you let me know first, the dungeons are at your disposal for your _special _brewing" He referred to Remus's wolfsbane, and she picked it on.

"Thank you sir" She planed to finish there, but her politeness overtook her "Should you want to join me, it would be a pleasure" She said cordially with a smile.

"Good to know" He lifted an eyebrow seeming surprised and then nodded before continuing his path.

She watched as Snape left before turning around and bumping into someone.

"Well hello" Said the voice that always made Lexi smile.

Her chest had crushed with his and he was holding her arms with his hands so as to avoid her falling down.

"Professor Lupin"

"Professor Stark, would you like to come in?" He asked smiling at her.

"I would love to"

"How was your first day?" He asked as he took a sit in front of her.

"It was okay" She shrugged "By the way, did I ever look that bewildered?" She remembered with a smile the looks in the faces of some of the first years.

"No, you always stood out in the crowd" He said trying not to smile goofily.

"Thanks" She said hiding a blush. "I think" She laughed, he followed.

"It was a compliment"

"Well, definitely thank you Remus" She said while playing with the fringes of her crimson robes. "You know, the most peculiar thing happened before I bumped into you"

"Do tell" He said playfully.

She motioned for him to get closer as if it were a secret, obliging her he got so close that he could feel her hot breath against his skin.

"Snape was actually nice to me" She said in faux disbelief.

Since his transformation his senses were more acute than those of a common wizard. Her sweet voice echoed in his ears, the smell of her perfume invaded his nostrils, the heat of her breath made his skin tingle and the gentle touch of her lips in his ear every now and then made him close his eyes. He couldn't bare the proximity, it was just too tempting.

"Oh my, is one day enough for you to change Severus's ways?" He mocked "You really are a rare species Alexandra"

"Please I've been with the man for almost nine years now and I can assure you he hates my guts, after all he did hear me call him a poisonous git in my third year" The last part she didn't mean to say out loud, she had never told him the little incident with Snape.

"YOU DID WHAT?" He shouted in disbelief.

"Keep it down dear we don't want the rest of the castle to find out!"

_Did I just call him dear? _She thought with an inner wince

"Sorry, please go on"

_Did she just call me dear?_ He thought with a smile

"Merlin, do you remember your last day in school? When I came looking for you?" He nodded "Well before that, after I heard Snape telling everyone that you were a werewolf I called him a poisonous git, and he heard me"

"HE" he moderated his voice "he heard you? And what did he do?"

"He threatened with expelling me, but then I threatened him about telling the truth about that night" She said with a proud smirk.

"Lexi you could have gotten expelled because of me!"

"It wouldn't have been because of you Remus, it would have been for you" She smiled at him as he was looking at her weirdly "And I would do it again should it be necessary"

He didn't know what to say, he was just overcame, she would have given up Hogwarts for him, that's what she had just told him. She had confronted Snape and had also threatened him, and it had all been for him. If he had any doubts about how he felt about her, those doubts faded away, he didn't just fancy her.

"Lex?" _I have to ask her_

"Yes?"

"Why did you do it?" He asked noticing that she blushed.

"Because-" She said nervously. _Because I had a crush on you... _His gaze grew more and more intense as he waited for an answer. "Because I was in- I was very fond of you, and I didn't want people like Malfoy or Parkinson talking about what they didn't know off"

She knew she was blushing as her face was burning hot, but she still smiled at him, not hiding the fact that her face was almost of the same colour of her robes.

"Professor Lupin? - Oh you are busy" Romilda Vane said interrupting Remus who was beginning to move towards Lexi with a determinate look in his eyes. Her voice seemed to become sourer as she noticed Lexi.

"No he's not, I was just leaving" She said to Romilda but never taking her eyes of Lupin, who was looking at Lexi as if he were enthralled by her mere presence. "I'll see you later" She gave his arm an affectionate squeeze as she walked past him.

"Goodbye professor"Romilda said to Lexi, still looking at Lupin with a smile that made her remember of the way in which she had smiled at Harry in her fourth year and in Lexi and Harry's sixth year.


	7. Chapter 7

"Remus for the last time I will not take a no for an answer!" Lexi said sternly two days before the first full moon in Hogwarts.

"It's too dangerous I won't have it" He said exasperated, yet secretly happy at her initiative.

They had already been fighting for ten minutes now and neither would drop it.

"Too dangerous? Please I brew the potions that keep your mind in the right place!"

She was not a stubborn kind of girl, but she remembered the way Remus had told her how miserable he was transforming without anyone by his side, how abandoned he once felt when he didn't have either of the marauders by his side. She would not let him feel that way again, even though she wasn't an animagus she would accompany him, after all with the wolfsbane he would still think like himself.

"Remus is it so hard to understand that I'm not afraid and that I _will_ go with you?" She said taking his hand as he was looking at her confused. "You know better than arguing with me, you know that I'm just like Sirius in these cases" she smiled at the small laugh Remus let out.

He didn't understand why she would want to join him, why on earth would she want to see him turn into a monster? He didn't want her to see him like that, yet she already had, and she had done so when he hadn't taken his wolfsbane. Thinking that he could have hurt her haunted him ever since that night.

"Why are you doing this Lex?" he asked utterly disorientated.

"Because you never let me feel lonely in my darkest hours, and I will not let you be so either" She said with a smile and a slight squeeze of his hand. "I should go, classes begin in five minutes"

As she begun moving away he didn't let go of her hand, making her look at him. He caressed her hand with his own and smiled fondly at her.

"Thank you"

"Anytime" she said with another smile and left.

Trying to let go of the feelings he had developed for her wouldn't be easy when she acted like this. And much to his bad luck, she always did.

They did the exact same thing during the three full moons that followed. She would go first to the shrieking shack and wait for him. Few minutes later Remus would appear. She didn't care about his transformed form, and when she did it was out of concern for him, not fear for herself or anything of the sort. She would prepare and practice the lessons that she had the following day, at times she would speak to him, yet she only received a small huff or grunt in response, rarely a howl. Just her mere presence was enough for him to be calm. He couldn't believe the way she spoke to him and managed herself around him, it seemed as if he wasn't a werewolf, at times they way she acted made him forget about it, it was just like when he was a teenager again. She made him feel as if she didn't care at all, and for that he loved her.

As the days passed by she grew more used to her new routine and her new role at Hogwarts and the friendship she shared with Remus also grew fonder. Her feelings for him hadn't apasiguated either, the more time she spent with him the more she realized she was beginning to fall for him. She didn't care about his age and she most certainly didn't care about his condition.

She was dreaming about her and Remus, _again_, they were on a prairie, walking hand by hand, she realized it was muggle Scotland, where he had told her to visit earlier that year. Everything was great, until she begun hearing a scream and she was on her own. Death eaters begun surrounding her, wands ready for attack, yet hers was nowhere to be seen. Resigned she begun running as fast as she could, until the path suddenly ended in a sharp point, in which she tripped and fell, waking up from the nightmare. Still she could hear someone screaming.

As an aftermath from war she always slept with her wand under the pillow. She turned on the lights and found the portrait inside her room soothing her grandchildren.

"What's going on?" she asked as she got closer, her wand still in her grasp.

"It's your friend" she answered.

Instantly she realized who she meant as she recognized the scream, which resembled a growl. Without hesitation she ran towards his door and ventured inside, ready to find a group of death eaters surrounding him. Yet she found him in his bed, eyes wide shut, with a wincing expression, hands grasping the sheets and the pillow furiously and lips tight, hiding gritted teeth. She lowered her wand and went by his side in less than a second.

"Remus, Remus wake up" she said while gently taking a few hairs of his forehead, which was damp. "Wake up, it's all right" she said, still caressing his forehead, she sat down in the remaining part of the bed.

She knew those sort of nightmares, they weren't the kind you got when you were little, they were the ones that were based on scenarios that could or could have happened in real life.

He opened his eyes bewildered, his breath was ragged and she could have sworn they were a bit watery. The second he located her sitting by his side he buried his face in her chest, embracing her, as if she were the only lifesaver in the middle of the ocean.

She was certain that he still was half asleep, that wasn't his usual behavior, even with her he was more reserved. She didn't move as he wouldn't lose his grip on her. His face was still in her chest, position in which she would have been much more uncomfortable in other circumstances and with someone else, and she had her legs under the covers as she had gotten a bit cold. She had classes in the morning, and she had to sleep anyway, so she did.

Remus managed to spend the rest of the evening with a dreamless sleep. Escaping from the pernicious nightmare that had him struggling.

It was the full moon, and as always Lexi was waiting for him in the shrieking shack, where they remained peacefully for a while. Suddenly his eyes turned wild, not resembling his anymore, but the beast's, his posture changed as well, and so did the thoughts inside his mind. _''kill her'_ ,'_she won't fight back, kill her', 'you know it is in your nature'_ he heard the beast speak inside his mind. He tried to fight back, but couldn't, he wasn't in control of his body anymore. He watched her die, by his own hands and unable to do anything. The beast was right, she hadn't even tried to fight back, she just observed him resigned at her own fait. The moment he saw her cold body bleeding, the beast left with a malicious laughter, and he became in power of his body again, howling at his loss, destroying everything in his way, trying to take the pain away, but he couldn't, loosing her would never fade away. As he ran towards the forbidden forest, waiting and hoping that another beast would kill him, he heard a voice, _her_ voice. As he woke up, he found her by his side. He couldn't help himself, he embraced her with his full strength, burying himself in her, inhaling her scent, sabouring her soft caress.

As sunlight begun percolating through the lids he opened his eyes. _She didn't leave_ he thought with a both of them had moved in their sleep as his face wasn't on her chest anymore, both of their heads were at the same height, yet her's was on top of his arm, which was holding the small of her back as well. He could feel her warm breath tingling in the base of his neck. He smiled at her hand on top of his chest, and at her face only millimeters away from his. He wished he could kiss her, he wished that she could be his, but that wouldn't be fair to Lexi, he was her senior by seventeen years and he was a werewolf, there was no way in which he could do that to her, he wouldn't make her suffer.

"Morning" she said drowsily.

He had been too deep in thought to notice that she had opened her eyes.

"Morning" he said returning her smile.

He wanted to stay like that all day, all week actually, but he wouldn't, he couldn't. Reason for which he got up unwillingly.

"We should hurry if we want to catch breakfast" he said trying to sound non-challant, yet wincing inside.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want people gossiping" she said as she got up and winked at him mockingly.

"People wouldn't believe it" he said with a crooked smile, yet with hurt inside. "Thank you for coming and staying by the way"

"I told you, anytime" she said honestly with a smile as she opened the door to leave. "I would" he looked at her confused "believe it I mean" she said as she left, leaving Remus with an unbelievingly large smile.


	8. Chapter 8

"I see that _tick_ of yours hasn't faded with the years" Severus Snape said as he entered the potions classroom where Lexi was brewing her potion. "Professor Stark" he said with a nod acknowledging her presence.

"Professor Snape" she said with a light smile. "What tick?" she added out of curiosity. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You must be the only person who doesn't realize so" his tone polite yet it seemed as if he actually was trying to be friendly.

Ever since classes had begun Snape had been rather polite with Lexi, they had chatted during meals and in the hallways whenever it was their turn to guard them. It was her sixth time in the potions classroom since she had graduated and the fourth time making Remus's potion in a lab that was once known to her, yet after remodelations and the passing of the years was alienated.

"Your feet, they clank obnoxiously as you stir"

Lexi looked at her feet, which were indeed doing so. '' huh, I guess that explains why my ankles feel weird whenever I brew" She said with a smile, making Snape release a small chuckle. "Why didn't you say so before sir? I mean you stood up with it for about six years"

"I believe it would have been in vain, you would have continued with it either way, so I guess I was saving my time, which couldn't be devoted to you entirely" He said with an annoyed voice, yet she could have sworn a blush had been present.

"I'm not that reckless, you should know that"

"I do, yet if I don't recall poorly I also know that you called me a 'Poisonous git'" Severus was facing her now, and she noticed he had cocked his eyebrow rather playfully.

_What's with him today?_

"I was young and a tad reckless back then, I do admit so, I was **_thirteen_**, and you do, or at least did, hate me" She lowered her voice and matched his gaze. "Besides, you had done a rather ghastly thing to someone I really care for"

"Sure, your affections towards Lupin are rather obvious" he said somberly "and it was a ghastly thing to do, so I do apologize" He softened his voice at the look Lexi gave him. "Yet I don't and never did hate you Alexandra, I had a role to maintain, and you never know when someone is watching"

"Huh, it's good to know, yet the apologize shouldn't be addressed to me"

There was something in the way he shifted his gaze that made Lexi wonder why she felt awkward, or why she actually felt as if she was beginning to like Severus Snape.

"That's not wolfsbane Miss Stark, what are you brewing?"

"How much time do you have Sir?" She said with a smile that propagated even to him.

Remus observed as the snowflakes fell as he made his way towards the astronomy tower, knowing that there was what he was looking for. It had been years since he had felt the way he did, giddy-light-headed-certainbrunettecraving-ishly. She had woken up in Remus what he thought had died years ago. She had the same hunger for life that Sirius did, yet her ways were more contagious, even though Sirius might be considered 'irresistible' the way Lexi talked enthralled you and made you pay every ounce of your attention to her. The difference between them was that Sirius had always demanded for that attention, yet Lexi didn't do so, it was just her spirit that made her that fascinating. The tranquility the castle conveyed was beyond graveyard like, almost every student had left for the christmas break, and except for some exceptions, the professors where the only ones left. Thought the only person he actually cared as company was only a few steps away, so he was in paradise. He had woken up a couple of minutes ago, unable to go back to sleep, yet he hadn't dreamt anything, he only had remembered.

It had been during war, when Neville had communicated to the Order, saying that Harry was back. The first thing that had surged into his mind had been Lexi. Every person in that room apparated in a matter of seconds, yet he couldn't, he had to let every one else that hadn't been on call with him to prepare themselves for the final battle.

The first thing he spotted when he managed to apparate was her, Sirius was hugging her. Jealousy invaded him instantly. He smiled at Remus when he saw him and whispered something to Lexi while pointing towards him with his chin, who in a microsecond turned around to look at him. Hermione and Ron were the first to hug him, as they were the closest by as they had been speaking to Molly, who was only a few steps in front of him. Harry followed them. Yet he never took his eyes away from her while doing so, she never looked away either, sharing the same intensity. It seemed as if ages had passed before she run towards him to hug him as well, never breaking his gaze. This time he did close his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, inhaling her scent, felling her young flesh against his. He couldn't help himself, he had been waiting for it ever since they had taken different paths after Fleur and Bill's wedding.

"Thank Merlin you are back" He found himself saying. He could feel her smile growing.

"I've missed you too" she whispered back, breaking away.

The two of them had been to enthralled with each other to notice the eyes tat fell curiously at the scene that had even shocked Remus and Lexi.

Another thing he remembered was the pain he felt when Voldemort had communicated after Harry had confronted Snape. The voice had been intensified by his senses, and he could feel it slithering through his veins. Apparently his wince was shown because he opened his eyes feeling a hand grabbing his. She only met his eyes once, yet it was enough. He linked his fingers with hers, and looked ahead trying to seem calm so as to soothe the scared students before him, just like Lexi was doing.

He woke up from the remembrance of his dream only to find what he had been looking for.

"Isn't it a little too late to be out here Miss Stark?" Remus said talking as if she were in trouble.

"It's never too late to admire the beauty that lies in front of you _Professor_" She turned around to face him with a smile already in her lips. "Care to join me?"

"Always" He answered with a smile. He already was admiring the beauty that lied in front of him long before she had said so. "For how long have you been up here?"

"A-About an hour or so, why?" She said trembling with cold.

"For Merlin's sake you are freezing" He said as he got closer to her concerned at her pale lips.

"N-No I'm not" She said while covering her hands. "Why a-aren't you by the way?"

"Because I have an average body temperature of 42ºC" He laughed at her. "And I'm at your disposition" He said while opening her arms for her, hope latent in his eyes.

Within a second she was colliding with his chest, his arms and his robes around her, doing as much to keep her warm, after a few seconds he placed his hands around hers, which were as cold as an ice cube. He could feel her breath as they walked back towards the castle, Lexi admiring the pearly landscape in front of them, and Remus admiring her as she did so, yet stealing a glance or two towards the landscape whenever he felt Lexi was about to look back.

"I thank god for your Remus" Lexi said making him laugh.

"There are certain pros about being a monster"

"Don't say that" She said meeting his gaze. She knew that behind his sarcasm pain was hidden. "You are not a monster Remus, you never were and you will never be one either, so don't you dare repeating that again"

He only smiled fondly at her, he couldn't speak out his mind, he was frightened that she wouldn't speak to him again if he did.

"Where were you twenty years ago?" He asked fondly.

"Literally?" She said laughing, lightening the mood. She got a closer hold of him as she crossed her arms around his chest, partially attempting to obtain more heat, yet also taking advantage of the situation. Yet she wasn't the only one as Remus passed his around her waist.

"Remus, can I ask you something?" Her voice hesitated as they entered the castle.

"Anything" He frowned in confusion yet anticipation.

"Don't you ever avoid doing something out of fear, yet at the same time have the uncertainty that the same thing you are afraid to do might have the most wonderful repercussion?"

_All the time…_

"I-" He noticed that they were reaching their rooms. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know whether I was the only one"

"No, no you're not" He swallowed surprised at her statement.

"What keeps you from doing it?" She broke apart from his embrace and was facing him now. Remus froze.

"Fear" He cleared his throat. "Fear of rejection" He gave her a lopsided smile, yet sad eyes. _Fear that you will not want me…_

Remus held his breath when Lexi opened her mouth to say something, yet cursed as the painting that was by her door interrupted her.

"I'm sorry Miss Stark" Said the petite girl in the painting behind them.

"Yes Cosette?" She said with a smile.

"Professor Snape came looking for you and instructed me to tell you to meet him at eleven in his chambers" She said with a small voice.

Remus frowned in jealousy and anger.

_Why the fuck would Snape want to meet Lexi in his chambers this late? Stupid question, I know why, why would any man want a beautiful woman to join him on a cold night… but why would she?_

"Shit" She muttered as she saw the time _10:58_. "I must go, I'm sorry" She smiled apologetically at him.

"It's fine" He begun entering his chamber, crossed as he saw her running away, yet was stopped by a gentle arm. Surprised at Lexi's return and at the fact that she had just cupped one of his cheeks and kissed him in the other he stared at her.

"No one who is worth it will ever even dare to hesitate for a second before eliminating the possibility of rejecting you Remus" This time when she left it was for good.

For the first time in his life Remus Lupin felt jealous of Severus Snape.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hello" Remus said as he sneaked up behind Lexi with his arms crossed behind his back.

"Hey" She said smiling, taking a sip of her drink as she admired the dancing couples in the middle of the dance floor.

Fleur looked beautiful in her swan like dress, dancing so femininely, so graceful. She and Bill complemented each other perfectly. Their smiling faces lit up the entire room. The way Bill looked at her went beyond words; it was as if she were the only person in the room, the only person in the planet that mattered. Lexi couldn't help but to smile at that.

"Don't you just love it?"

"What?" Remus asked, woken up from the trance he had been in while admiring the way Lexi looked.

"Love" She said facing him directly, turning away from the dancing crowd with a smile plastered on her face. "It's so wonderful yet at the same time so damn complicated"

She looked at him, he was the greatest example of how complicated love was. She was sure that what how she felt about him, yet it was impossible for him to feel the same way, even at eighteen she was too young, Lexi was sure that in his eyes she was nothing but a child.

"Yes, it is. Nothing that valuable will ever be simple" He smiled at her. "Would you mind granting me this dance?" He said after some hesitation.

"I would love to" She said taking his hand.

After all how much damage could one dance do?

_I'm sure Sirius made him do this_, she said thinking that Sirius had realized the way she felt and was sorry for her, after all that was the only explanation at why he was looking at them like that. Remus was more than her idealized infatuation, he was gentle, intelligent and handsome yet his greatest feature was his greatest flaw as well, he was so humble that he couldn't believe how amazing he actually was, and he was so kind to grant an infatuated eighteen year old a dance.

Though the moment they stepped inside the dancing floor the animated song turned into a ballad. They both looked at each other and let out a small laugh, before awkwardly changing their position, Remus placed one hand in the small of her back and Lexi placed hers around his shoulder, as his other hand met hers he couldn't help but to smile at the comparison of sizes . As she was wearing heels (forced by Ginny, yet after debate they arranged them to be rather low) they were almost of the same height, which meant that they were looking at each other's eyes, as there was no further choice.

"I wish things could remain like this" She found herself saying referring to the war that was to come.

"I know" He smiled at her, agreeing fully.

"Don't get me wrong, I know what I signed up for, and I don't regret it, yet at times I wonder-" She looked at him actually confused. "How can you delay such an imminent future?"

"By enjoying the present" He answered with a wider smile vivid in his wise face and a swift caress of the hand he was holding.

Lexi only smiled back in agreement before placing her head on his shoulder, closing the space between them. At that Remus's smile grew even larger. He also knew there wasn't much time left before the final battle took place, or before Lexi had to go Horocrux-hunting with Harry, Ron and Hermione. So he would make the most of it.

A couple of minutes later, before the end of the song, Kingsley's patronus appeared. Shocked Lexi turned around yet not of breaking apart, Remus was holding her tightly in an embrace.

Still, instead of hearing Kingsley's voice she heard Sirius's.

"What on earth is she humming?"

With that she woke up quickly, finding Sirius looking down at her, his childish smile glistening as ever. Behind him stood Remus, who was smiling at her, as he had recognized the song, and the memories that it implied.

"Sirius!" She said as she leapt out of bed and into his embrace "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I might visit you two, keeping an eye on your rebellious misdoings and whatnot" He said sarcastically

"Oh Remus Sirius missed us!" She said faking emotion, cleaning a fake tear from her cheek.

"Don't get too exited Lex, once he reaches you he never leaves" He gave her a wink.

"Trying to keep our Alexandra all for yourself, aren't you Moony?" He laughed at the death glare Remus shot at him when Lexi wasn't looking. "Anyway, since you can't return home and Harry was sent out on a mission, I thought I would visit my favorite pair of misfits" He wrapped an arm around each friend. "What's in order for the day?"

"Butterbeer in hogsmeade for old times sake?"

"Marvelous my dear moony" He walked towards the door "What are you waiting for?"

"Um, would you mind if I dress up first?" She said laughing at how oblivious Sirius was when excited.

"Would you like some help?" He smiled mischievously with a wink.

Before Lexi could let out a retort, Remus took Sirius by the ear. "We'll wait for you outside"

Remus still kept a smile on his face at the song she had been humming. Had he been more foolish he would have thought it to be a coincidence, yet he was far from it. He remembered that day, it had been one of the worst, yet also one of the best in the last few years. The worst as it was the date in which they were torn apart, without knowing whether the other would survive until they met again, and the best as because it had implied the loving proximity he had longed for.

"For Merlin's sake Remus go talk to her" Had said Sirius as he observed his friend.

"I don't know who you are talking about"

"I'm talking about the only person you have been gawking at ever since she entered the room" He said in a hush with an over-analytical voice.

For the two hours and a half of the reception he hadn't managed to take his eyes off her. He knew that he had to do so now, before she left, before the unknown yet predictable would occur. And she couldn't have looked more perfect to his eyes, than she did on their last night. She had her carefree hair loose, falling all the way down to her right shoulder blade in neat curls. Her light-green strapless dress framing her body and matching her eyes had a thin copper braided linen belt that hugged her waist and denoted the loose fall of the skirt, which on the front went a little below mid-thigh and on the back reached below her knees. She looked refined and playful at the same time, young yet mature, beautiful yet unreachable.

"Fine, admire her from afar" Sirius said resigned "But if you don't go to her, someone will beat you at it" teasingly enough, he earned Remus's attention. "That boy over there hasn't taken his eyes away from her ever since he arrived" He pointed at a boy from Drumstrang that had entered with Krum, who was effectively looking at Lexi in a way that managed to infuriate Remus so much that he got up from his chair and begun moving towards Lexi.

"I hate you" he said to Sirius.

"Atta boy" He said shooting a wink at him.

The last thing he remembered saying to her that day, after their dance and during Kingsley's patronus and before the death eater's attack.

"I beg you, please for once in your life take care of yourself" He said as he took hold of her arms, making sure that she was listening.

"You too" She said while placing a swift kiss on his cheek, before disappearing with Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Ready when you are" Lexi said as she appeared from her room.

"Thank Merlin, I was aging as you changed" Sirius retorted exaggerating as always.

"Oh please I barely took five minutes" She put on her hat and scarf and begun walking. "You should learn from Remus, he never complains"

At that Sirius winked at him.

"I enjoy obliging" He smiled at her "Nice scarf by the way"

"Thank you" She said proudly, acknowledging the fact that he was joking. It was one of the many scarves Molly had given her throughout the years. It was of a dark green material and it had a small silver L sown on one of the sides. It was sort of quirky, yet she loved it. "It was a gift"

"I wonder from whom" Said Sirius, as he probably had an item similar to that one, result of Molly's passion from knitting when being nervous, which after seven children and two wars was all the time.

"Ha ha, very amusing you two" She rolled her eyes at them as they entered the three broomsticks as if they where two schoolboys "If you must know I love it, a gift doesn't have to be expensive to be appreciated, at least not in my case, I'm a simple girl"

Remus smiled at her, both of them knew how much she cared for Molly, she had been a mother to her after her parents had passed away, and those presents were as appreciated as they were because they came with motherly affection.

"Afternoon, what are we having today?" Asked the young man in the bar that was helping Rosmerta. He asked generally yet was only looking at Lexi rather flirtatiously.

"Three butterbeers please" Said Remus annoyed, trying to keep the boy away, who was not only handsome but also about Lexi's age. Sirius picked up on that and swallowed a laugh. The boy kept looking at Lexi.

"Anything else for you love?" He asked her with a crooked smile.

"No, thank you" She said with a smile, also swallowing a nervous laugh.

"Well, should you want anything you know where to find me" He winked at her and looked quickly at Remus and Sirius, discarding the idea of any of them being her boyfriend. "I'm Sam by the way" He extended his hand.

"Hello Sam by the way," She shook his hand. "I'm Lexi" He stopped the shaking and kissed her palm.

With that he left a blushing Lexi, a laughing Sirius and an angry Remus.

"That was interesting" Said Sirius, stealing a glance at Remus who was murdering the kid with his eyes as he poured the butterbeers. "Don't you think so Remus?"

"Mhm" he grunted.

Sirius kicked him discretely under the table. He squinted his eyes at him, if Remus wasn't going to tell Lexi how he felt on his own, he was certainly going to push him. He had never seen Remus so joyful as when he was with Lexi, and he had already let go many chances of being happy when he was younger, and Sirius was certain that he wouldn't forgive himself if she ended up with someone else.

"Now that I think about it, Harry's the only one I know you've been with" He eyed her and got closer from across of her.

"Um, yeah, I don't think I like where we are heading" She laughed nervously.

"You must have dated after him, haven't you?" _Let me get where I want Lex, promise you won't regret it…_

"Yes, Lucas Jhansson during my entire fifth year" She squinted her eyes suspiciously at him "But no, after him I haven't dated, fighting death eaters and hunting Horocruxes doesn't mingle with dating you know?"

She blushed as Sam left the butterbeers, hanging rather close as he handed Lexi hers. Remus looked as if he could transform and murder him in any moment. This time Lexi _did_ realize so and couldn't help but to give him an amused smile, which he returned with an awkwardly apologetic one.

"Where are you heading anyway Sirius?" She asked intrigued.

"Just wondering if you were seeing someone, or interested in someone perhaps"

Remus was holding his breath, waiting for an answer, yet knowing that he wouldn't get the one he wanted. Lexi only laughed at it.

"Padfoot, are you hitting on me?"

"Nope, for once my dearest Alexandra, I'm not"

"Um, no, I'm not seeing anybody" She took a sip of her butterbeer as she was freezing. "Why the sudden interest?"

Sirius looked at Remus, pushing him to say something, he even kicked his shin. Yet Remus said nothing.

"Just asking" He smiled at her. "By the way, that Sam kid is beginning to freak me out"

That brought Lexi a fit of laughter that didn't fade for a couple of minutes. Inevitably Remus joined, as her laughter was irresistible to him. Unfortunately enough for Remus, he wasn't the only one.

"I do have another question"

"Oh dear"

"How come you were sleeping at five thirty in the afternoon?"

That question had Remus pay more attention, as he knew it wasn't the first time.

"I was, eh, it was a busy night" She answered avoiding his eye.

"Busy night?" He looked at her skeptically "You sure you don't have a boyfriend?"

"There are other ways to entertain oneself besides from sex and snogging Sirius" She rolled her eyes at him and blushed as she noticed that Sam was still looking at her and had shot a wink as he waited on another table.

Remus turned to see what she was blushing about and saw what she had. Annoyed he grunted, yet it sounded as if he had growled.

_If he keeps doing that I will hex that brat into the year three thousand…_


	10. Chapter 10

Remus could have sworn that if Sirius didn't shut up for a second he would punch him into oblivion.

"For Merlin's sake leave it alone Black!"

"I certainly will not because you are acting like an utter idiot!" At Remus sudden stop he kept on, facing him. "What you think I don't realize you like Lexi? Even a toddler could realize so! What I can't realize is why you keep on acting as if nothing is going on! Wake up Remus or someone else will when it's too late"

Remus hadn't seen Sirius so shaken in a long time, which preoccupied him. He was his closest friend, he knew that, yet he didn't know why it affected him so much, specially when Sirius knew why he wouldn't act accordingly to the way he felt.

"Why do you care so much? You know exactly why I don't do a thing!"

Before Sirius would answer a strange sound that he had never heard before stopped him before turning around and finding an even more bewildering scenery. Severus "_Snivellus_" Snape was… laughing?

"What on earth is going on? Is Snape actually laughing?"

"Yes, he does that now" He said with a serious tone and a slight frown.

"Has hell finally frozen?"

"No, it has not" His frown became more evident as Lexi went into sight by his side. "_There_ is your answer"

"No, wait, NO!" He turned around to admire what lay before of him more clearly. Lexi was walking by his side, talking vividly and him listening closely. He laughed at the effect that Lexi had, yet was still stunned at that. "Lex hates the git almost as much as I did"

"Not anymore, they have been spending some time together" He observed as Snape and Lexi realized their presence. Snape whispered something at her and looked at them with a frown specially at Sirius before turning around and leaving. "Furthermore I think she was with him in her _busy night_"

"Wait where are you going?"

"I have something to do"

Sirius observed as Remus walked away and Lexi walked towards him as she passed by his side. She had opened her mouth to say something yet he didn't give her time to speak. She stood there for a second with a mixture between sadness and surprise before walking towards Sirius, who had observed the scene with the same mixture of emotions.

"What's up with him?" A worried yet offended tone in her voice

"Him? What's up with _you_?"

"Me?"

"Yes you Alexandra Elizabeth Stark" He asked exasperated

"Padfoot are you on crack?"

"No, but apparently you are" He said exasperated "What on earth are you doing laughing with Snape? Don't you remember what he planned to do with me? Or what he did to Moony?"

"Yes, of course I do! What do you take me for?" She crossed her arms at him "And I've already told him that I despised what he did and he apologized for it, I'm not an idiot" She scowled him "Yet don't think that I don't recall what _you _did to _him_, _Snivellus?_ Please Sirius you could have been better than that, and don't get me started on what could have happened hadn't James intercepted him on his way to the shrieking shack"

"Fine, _I_ deserved it" He lost the angry tone "But what about Remus?"

"I told you, I've already told him and he apologized, he even apologized to Remus you know, and I've told him that that wasn't enough, yet you must know that everybody deserves a second chance, don't you Padfoot?"

"Yes, I do Lex" He frowned yet with a smile as she didn't understood what he meant, _oblivious as a stoned fish_ "But that isn't what I meant"

"What did you mean then? And why did Remus ignored me like that?"

"Why don't you go ask him?" He crooked his eyebrow at him "I'll be in his room should you need me"

"Fine, where did he go?"

"Dunno, his classroom perhaps?" He said sarcastically.

"Smartass" She said as she begun walking towards the DADA classroom, leaving a smirking Sirius behind.

Why would he walk by without even letting her speak to him? He had never dismissed her, they had always made time for each other, unless there wasn't an each other any more, perhaps he had someone else he would rather spend his time with. Who? Only professors where there, and everyone had at least thirty years on him, so it had to be a student. Yet who was she to judge? She had the hots for a man seventeen years older than her.

Noticing that the door wasn't completely closed she reached directly for the doorknob, without knocking first. Big mistake. As she was doing so she heard Remus soft laughter, which brought a smile to her face, yet it faded as soon as she heard a female giggle along side it, regretting it as she did so she opened the door, finding them on the floor behind his desk.

"Don't worry about it" He said to the girl he was helping stand as he laughed. "Professor Stark" He said as he noticed Lexi on the door.

"I just, um," She froze as she realized that the blushing girl behind Remus was Romilda Vane. "Never mind"

She walked away as fast as she could without even saying any further. There was nothing to add, they had both been on the floor, hiding behind Remus's desk laughing, no wonder he was in such a hurry. Merlin she will not forget their blushed faces as they got up. As she always did when distressed, she went to the astronomy tower. In the end Romilda had finally gotten what she aimed for, much more successfully than her attempts with Harry. What on earth had he seen on her though? she was a vain, conceited, self-centered girl that had the maturity of an underdeveloped ant! okay... perhaps her anger had enhanced things a little bit, yet she wasn't good enough for Remus! Unfortunately, that wasn't her choice to make. As she saw that the sun had already gone down she resumed from her hatred bubble and checked her watch. Her spirit sunk even lower when she realized she had just spent two hours sulking about Remus and Romilda. Walking even faster than she had done while running away from Remus she set her course towards her bedroom.

"Lexi! Lex"

Lexi immediately felt her legs freeze, instinctively she pulled out her wand and faced her aggressor, and with the anger she felt, that was one unlucky bastard.

"Sirius?" She said as she observed the snickering man walk towards her "What the fuck?" She yelled at him as he summoned back the vines that had tied her up.

"I think I've never yelled a name as much as I've just yelled yours! I've chased ye for four blocks now" As he helped her up he noticed something in her eyes that made his smile fade away. "What's wrong?''

"Huh?" He looked at her more worried as he noticed her absent tone. "It's nothing, I'm just tired"

"It's seven thirty, another busy night?"

"No, no more busy nights for me"

"Why's that? you fought with Snivellus?" He laughed at the death glare she shot at him and he placed his arm around her, squashing Lexi onto his chest "You know I'm kidding love"

"I know" she changed her sad smile for a surprised look "Wait, how did you know I've been with Snape?"

"So you have been with him, Oh Lex I thought you had better taste!" He said with distaste.

"Wait, what?" She begun laughing "You think I've been-?"

"What's so goddamned funny?"

"I have been with Snape, but we haven't been doing what you think we have" She stopped laughing to face him as he yelled '_Thank goodness!_' "How on earth did you get to that conclusion?"

"Can't tell ye" He said childishly.

"Padfoot" She added threateningly

"Only because I know you're just like me and won't drop it" He looked around "Moony told me, and I thought that as you two are basically together the entire time, you told each other everything"

"Obviously not" She said sadly, Romilda's giggle at the top of her head.

"Then what were you doing with Snape?"

"Can you keep a secret?" She laughed at his childish expectancy "Of course not, look who I'm asking,"

"Wait, where are you going? of course I can!"

"No you can't, not secrets like this one, _but_" He smiled confused "I'll tell you either way, I'll tell you in my room, I don't want Peeves telling him before I do"

"Him? Oi' wait!"


	11. The End

"Stop sulking for the love of goats!"

"I'm not sulking! wait, did you just say goats?" Remus asked confused.

"Isn't that what muggles say?" Now Sirius seemed confused.

"No you arse, it's god!"

"I don't think so, I'm pretty sure it's goats" He smiled as he marked his target "See there's Lexi, let's ask her"

"it's god, um, I think I'll head back to my room"

"No you won't"

"And why's that?"

"Because she already saw us"

"Great" _Of course she saw us, we are in the middle of an almost empty dinner hall._

"You know what? don't come, I'm sure you're better off without even talking to the woman you obviously love" He added matter of factly before strutting towards where Lexi was eating "Howdy love"

"Padfoot" She said smiling to the man that had just stolen her toast, yet her smile disappeared slightly as she saw another figure approaching. "Remus"

"Morning" he said with an awkward smile.

_The fuck's wrong with these two? I got to get them together, she has to tell him what she told me and by the rate this is going, the prick won't give her a shot..._

"You'll see, moony and I were in a bit of a quarrel here"

"Oh dear" she said stealing a smile from Remus.

"Is the muggle expression for the love of goats or for the love of god?" Sirius frowned as her initial answer was bursting into laughter, which increased Remus's smile.

"He's kidding right?" Remus only shrugged "Let me guess you said god and he said goats?" He gave her an 'indeed' crooked smile. "Sorry Padfoot, I'm with Remus on this one"

"Really now? oh well, now that I think about it I never understood the love they might have had for goats"

"Well, on their defense they do make a great cheese"

Sirius watched as Remus laughed along side her. He had never seen him laugh with anyone else the way he laughed with Lexi, even though it was a corny phrase, she did complete him. He brought a part of him that had died long time ago back to life, she was his tonic, she made him happier, stronger, healthier. If only they could see that...

"How's Severus?" Remus asked with a sad smile.

_Honestly Moony?! It was almost impossible to blow it, for the love of goats, I mean gods!_

Lexi's smile also changed.

"Alright I guess" _This is so stupid_ She laughed "Remus, I-"

_Oh wonderful_

"Professor Lupin?"

"Romilda" He said turning away little by little from Lexi, _What was she about to say?_

"Can I have a word with you?" her smile tentative increasing any sort of suspicions Lexi had ever had.

He turned towards Lexi, trying to make it clear that it was up to her, yet as he turned around he realized she was whispering something to Sirius and was leaving, Sirius staring as she did so.

"Sure"

"Sirius Black you will drop me in this second before I hex you into oblivion!"

Lexi said as she wriggled on Sirius's arms, trying to break free or get hold of her wand, unfortunately he was too god-damned strong.

"I won't until you speak to Moony"

"Why? he's probably with Romilda right now"

"Romilda?" He looked at her confused, as he did so he loosened his grip so Lexi managed to jump off, sticking her tung at him in victory, making him chuckle. "The bushy haired girl from breakfast?"

"Yeah, the bushy haired girl from breakfast"

"Why would Remus be with her?" Sirius's confusion grew, yet he begun laughing as he realized what she meant. "Merlin you two are like two water drops" He got hold of her again,and got hit harder. "Come on love, I'm not leaving you until you and Remus share a talk" And so he begun marching towards his chambers.

"Padfoot let me go! we have nothing to talk about"

"FINE!" Completely furious he let go off her surprisingly gently for his mood. "You know what you two are the most intelligent people I know yet you are also complete and utter idiots!" He kept on talking due to the look in Lexi's face. "Wanna know why? SURE! Because you don't realize Remus is completely in love with you and him because he can't tell that you love him too!" He looked at the shocked face she had on, a barely perceptible smile painted in her lips, and an absent look in her eyes, showing that she was thinking elsewhere "I changed my mind" he got hold of her again and got her on his shoulder "I'm still taking you to see Moony"

_He loves me? how does Sirius know? stupid question I didn't tell him and he found out I loved Remus either way. God I need to take this stupid smile of my face, wait- Romilda, hell that surely does wipe the smile of my face. Why would he do that if he loved me, why on earth-_

"Merlin's sake gently you git!" She said as Sirius threw her on a couch.

Surprised she realized he had dropped her so that her head fell on Remus's lap. Blushed by her position and the smirking proximity of Remus's face, _and_ by the fact that she hadn't noticed they had arrived,she got up suddenly.

"Padfoot what the fuck!" Yelled Remus, surprised by his friend's action.

"You two need to talk, and I'll stand outside that door to make sure no one leaves before you do"

"What are we supposed to talk about you psico"Remus said noticing that Lexi hid a blush.

_I can't be trapped in a room alone with her you asshole... _

"Lex knows, she can give you a heads-up" He left after shooting a wink at her.

"Um" she said nervously while scratching the nape of her neck, trait she shared with Remus when nervous. "Look, I know what you think about me and Snape"

"Dear Merlin the git can't keep his mouth shut" He said angrily, wishing that Sirius was on the other side of the room. "Look Lex, I really don't have a say in wh-" He was cut off by Lexi's hand.

"Remus stop it" She laughed at his confused stare "There's nothing going on between us!" She couldn't hold her laughter, provably due to the nerves. "I can't believe you thought I was shagging Snape!"

The expression on his face was priceless, a mixture between relief, joy and confusion.

"But then why have you been spending so much time together?"

"He was helping me with something, besides I can spend time with someone without implying a relationship" She placed her hands on her hips.

"Well but you've been parading yourselves all so giggly and joyous"

"Well you are one to speak!" She said putting an end to her laughter and playfull voice.

"Excuse me?" He also changed his tone, yet making the opposite of Lexi's swap.

"Remus I saw you and Romilda the other day, blushed and smirking, getting up from behind your desk"

At that Remus begun chuckling unceasingly, just like Lexi had a couple of seconds ago.

"Lex do you seriously take me for the kind of man to do what Merlin know's you thought I was doing on the floor behind a desk?"

"Well-"

He took a step closer to her.

"We were on the floor because she dropped some papers I was correcting to the floor, and we were blushed because of the heat"

"Yeah I'm sure that's why she was blushing and laughing" She muttered under her breath, discontent palpable in her voice.

"Besides she's just a child! I can't believe _you_ thought _that_ about _me_"

That definitely deleted her smile. Romilda was seventeen and she was nineteen.

"A child" She laughed a sad laughter and lowered her sight "Remus you know she's only two years younger than me, right?" He looked at her more intensely assuming where she was heading "Do you think of me as a child?"

"Lexi I-" he sighed evidently, and scratched the nape of his neck nervously "No, I don't think of you as a child"

Her smile returned as fast as it left, yet this time she was the one to take one step closer, eliminating the remaining space between them.

"Good"

She moved forwards, trying to kiss him, knowing that Remus would never take the first step, yet as she did so she felt his arms pressing her, trying to keep her away, yet failing miserably as he didn't want so either.

"Lex please don't" His voice was clearly ragged, desire palpable on his voice. "I can't let you do this to yourself, you are too young and I'm a werewolf, I'm damaged goods" the tone pleadingly.

She could see the hurt in his eyes, and hear the distaste in his voice. He wouldn't listen to her, so she had to do something to show him that she truly loved him. She took a step behind and got hold of her wand. Remus observed her warily, for the first time not knowing what she was doing. His eyes widened as she did. From the tip of her wand her patronus was released, materializing in front of him, looking at him in the eye before circling them and disappearing. His eyes moved from her to her patronus until it left, wiggling his tail and howling contently, chasing the night, like any other wolf would do.

At his stare she cupped his face with one of her hands, and decided to break the silence.

"Remus John Lupin you are _not_ damaged goods, and I couldn't care less about your age or about the fact that you are a werewolf, I love you" she placed her other hand on his spare cheek "I'm _in love _ with you"

Leaving all restraint behind Remus caught her by the waist and kissed her the way he had been wanting to for nearly two years now. Her lips were as soft as he had dreamt and her caress as gentle, for the first time in years he finally felt at peace. Their kiss lasted more than they had expected yet less than they would have wanted, beginning gently yet leaving their breath ragged as it became more passionate.

"I can't tell you how much I've been waiting for this" She said shyly as he caressed her lovingly.

"You are not alone" he smiled agreeing with her. "Lex, what you said before" He placed his hand on her cheek and she turned towards it. "I love you too"

Those words, the words he had longed so much too say, and she to hear sing-songed in the room.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"What was it that you needed Severus's help with? why not come to me?"

She laughed at that.

"I didn't go to you because I couldn't, it was supposed to be a surprise for you, a christmas present actually" She smiled at his expression and searched in the pocket of her jacket, fishing out a vial holding a crimson liquid within it."I've been working with it for almost an year now, making sure that it was all right, improving one thing or the other, I just wanted to be a hundred percent sure, you know?"

"Lexi what is this?" He said inspecting the unfamiliar looking potion he now held in his hands.

"It's a sort of antidote" His eyes widened at that "It won't make the lycanthropy disappear, up to now that's impossible, but if you drink it on the day of the full moon you will be able to avoid the change, you will be able to control it as if it were an animagus form. Still you must transform every three months or you will become inmune to the antidote"

"I-" He looked back at her, uncertain of what she was saying. "Lex, this is-" he lacked the elocuency to speak at the moment, he was just too shocked, too deep in thought

All those years of suffering, of being discriminated and ostracized by the society, it all had a cure now. His fears of beginning a family of letting anyone get to close to him, it could vanish, he could leave that in the past, he could have a normal life now, without having to escape to the woods or isolate himself for release, it was over and it was all because of her.

"Don't say anything, tomorrow's the full moon, you can tell me then" She got up and extended her hand for him to take. "Let's go tell Sirius he can stop guarding the door now"

Lexi couldn't help but let out a small squeek of surprise as instead of getting up he took hold of her hand making her collide onto him, facing the wonderful lips she could now say were hers.

"Sirius can wait" He said behind a grin

Never taking his eyes from hers, enthralled by the young woman in front of him, and for the first time certain of a future by her side, he resumed the kiss they had been waiting for for such a long time.


End file.
